Improvement in tanning



* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROSWVELL ENOS, OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN TANNING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 1,325, datcd July 18,1854.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RoswELL ENos, of \Voodstock, in the county ofMcHenry and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useiulImprovement in the Process of Tanning Sole-Leather; and I do herebydeclare that the followingis a full and exact description thereof.

The nature of my invention consists in producing solid sole-leather inan unusually short time by commencing the tanning operation upon thesides'by the use of a salted infusion of sumac and then completing saidoperation by the repeated use of the strongest oak or hemlock-barkliquors, substantially as hereinafter set forth.

The hair is first removed from the hides in any usual manner, and theyshould be thoroughly cleansed in either pure water or in a solution ofsalt and water. A batch of, say, fifty sides should be treated in thefollowing manner, viz: Place the hides in a liquor composed by steepingforty pounds of Sicily sumac or one hundred and fifty pounds of ungroundnative sumac in two hundred and fifty gallons of water and addingtwenty-five pounds of salt thereto. Allow the sides to remain in saidliquor from twelve to twentyfour hours, the length of time dependingupon the temperature of the said liquor and the condition of the sides.About blood-heat I consider the best temperature for the aforesaidliquor. After the sides have remained the aforesaid length of time inthe salted infusion of sumac the liquor should be strengthened by addingthereto somewhere about two hundred gallons of strong oak orhemlockliquor and fifteen pounds of salt, and the sides be allowed toremain in the strengthened liquor for the space of from twelve totwenty-four hours. The sides should then be withdrawn from theabove-mentioned liquor and placed in about the same quantity of a strongcold oak or hemlock liquor containing twenty pounds of salt in solution,and be allowed to remain in it for five or six days. The sides shouldthen be withdrawn from the aforementioned cold liquor and be placed inthe same quantity and quality of liquor, save that it should be of aboutblood-warm temperature and be allowed to remain therein five orsix days,which latter operation should be repeated for six or seven times, whenthe sides will generally be found to be completely tanned.

While passing through each stage of my said tanning process the sidesshould be repeatedly handled, as all tanners are fully aware.

What I claim as my invention in the production of sole-leather, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Commencing thetanning operation upon the sides by the use of a saltedinfusion of sumac, and then completing said tanning operation by therepeated use of the strong oak or hemlock bark liquors, substantially asherein set forth.

ROSWELL v ENOS. Witnesses Z. 0. 3012mm, J. S. BRowN.

